Madden Football 2006 Review

The Franchise Player

The guts of Madden are unchanged, and if you've ever played the game before then you should have a fairly good idea of what to expect. And that is one gosh darn fine game of football. The series hasn't survived 16 years just out of charity. The on-field action has always been tight, somehow finding just the right combination of arcade and sim-style play to satisfy gridiron junkies and stave off some serious competition over the years. Plus, the online and franchise modes, which have always added incredible depth and longevity to past titles, are back and better than ever in '06. That's a good thing, considering that EA Sports has obtained the exclusive National Football League license, and Madden will be the only game in town for the foreseeable future.

The Rookie Phenom

One of the two major new additions is the NFL Superstar Mode, and boy has EA found gold with this one. Sports titles have allowed players to make their own characters for years now, but this feature takes it to the next level. In Superstar Mode, you either import a created player from another EA Sports football title, or create him from scratch by choosing his parents. The second option will determine your star's intelligence, physical prowess, appearance and what positions he will be qualified to play. All of this affects his Draft rating, as does the psychological/personality test which he will be required to take before the Draft begins.

Once your player has been selected by a pro squad, the real fun begins. With the help of former Broncos star running back Terrell Davis, who serves as your player's mentor throughout Superstar mode, your player will begin his career. You'll go through practices, play games, hire and fire agents, get haircuts and tattoos, conduct interviews with the media, negotiate contracts, and even take on endorsements and earn starring roles in movies. All the while, your on- and off-the-field actions will earn you a reputation amongst fans, the press and your teammates. You have 20 years to prove yourself, win the starting job, claim the Vince Lombardi trophy and reach Hall of Fame status.

Superstar Mode is a wonderful addition to Madden 2006. Yet, one can't help but wish that it could have been fleshed out a little more. There are things that Tiburon could have done differently to enhance the experience. Players should not have the ability to put their created star right into the starting lineup; an AI coach should make that decision based on in-game and in-practice performance. Interviews and movies are nice, but even more in-depth interaction would have been appreciated. What about feuds with teammates or coaches? Feeling the heat come cut-down day, or dealing with the stress of trade rumors. What about going through exercises and drills to rehab injuries. Perhaps things like this just aren't possible on current gaming hardware, but it sure would be nice to feel more like you were actually playing the role of the star athlete.

The Free-Agent Bust

The other premiere new feature is an overhauled passing game thanks to the additions of the QB Vision Cone and the Precision Passing System. You know how it's impossible for even the best real-life NFL quarterback to run to the right hash mark, and throw a no-look, 20-yard curl patter back to the left to a well-covered receiver? Well, with the new changes to the passing game, now it's impossible here as well. This was meant primarily to balance the playing field and eliminate the clear advantage that scrambling-style quarterbacks had in Madden 2005, and it does that. It also makes the passing game a serious exercise in both tedium and frustration.

Seriously, the player now has far too much to worry about in order to complete a pass. Just try effectively taking the snap, dropping back, finding an open receiver, then using the analog stick or shoulder button to line up your vision field with said receiver, pushing another button, using the d-pad to place where you want the ball to arrive (i.e. do you want your receiver to go high for the ball or do you want to lead him to the inside) and then actually throwing the pass before the blitzing linebacker decides to do a tap dance on your face. With a lot of time and effort, the system can be picked up, and it does add realism to the game. Too much realism, in fact.

Thankfully, you can just decide to turn it off and play Madden the traditional way -- which may not be as accurate, but sure is a heck of a lot more fun.

Now For The Coin Toss

Is Madden NFL Football 2006 worth your money? Considering that the game looks and sounds just about the same (although there is some additional commentary, and the decision to include classic NFL Films compositions was a nice touch), it really comes down to your feelings about the two new features mentioned above.

The overhauled passing game will appeal to realists, and the Superstar Mode adds depth to the single-player modes. There are also additional online features that will appear to those who regularly play multiplayer in this way, so that could be a factor. Ultimately, though, if you already have Madden 2005 or NCAA Football 2006, you'd be better off either renting or passing on this one with the hopes that the career mode and the new passing game will be improved upon in next year's edition.